City on Fire
by Embodied Frustration
Summary: Devastation, smoke curling through the air like a snake ready to strike. Endless grief and pain. The smell of death and musk of many brothels' perfumes would make you choke. It was the hell hole once known as london. No single spark of hope shone.
1. Chapter 1 The Depths of Hell

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own any of the characters (well except for that select few in the crowd, but they aren't awsome cause I created them) or the setting J.K. Rowling does..... or do I? wait WAIT! no! AHHHHHH! please Mr. Mafia Man (hehe alliteration) I don't want to swim with the fishies! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!**

**A/N: Yeah some of the characters act different, who wouldn't in this setting... kinda AU....They lost the war.....**

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**The Depths of Hell**

Devastation, smoke curling in the air, no one would have believed a prophecy capable of not being true, not one who did believe in _him_ was likely to be alive _and_ well.

London was not a place any of the light would have liked to be in at this point in time. No. Not HIS city, the burning city, the city on fire. In fact Europe altogether was a hell hole, the darkness reaching and stretching out towards Asia and Africa, though not yet daring to reach out for the Americas.

The screams were muffled but still emanating from the places formerly known as respectable neighborhoods. The pubs and inns turned into whore houses and strip bars. The museums and department stores laid to waste. The schools left unattended even by those pronounced "Pure". It was a dark and dreary time.

Hope shone no more than a firefly squished under the soles of a child's shoe, if they even had a shoe. It was the Modern Dark Ages, but there was no bright religion to spark a hope, no savior to rally the masses, no superman to fight the evil. No, our only hope failed us. _He_ failed us.

* * *

I had woken up for the past 3 years with a hope crushed a little more every day that it was all a dream, but no. It was a harsh reality, and still it continued to grow harsher with every minute of the life I had refrained from ending.

I slipped through the halls quietly and though all the jewelry presented by my suitors was layered on me, not a sound was made. A cat, I have always been described as, though more a panther or a jaguar than anything else. Beautiful. Graceful. Intelligent. Originally a blood traitor… And "Pure". The pureblooded whore they called me. Not fit for the brothel I dominated. Wanted by many, gained by none. Desired by all, loved by few. The whore fit to be a queen. Finally I found the room I had been looking for. It was time to carry out the plan.

The lace covering my voluptuous body fluttered as a walked through the doorway. I jingled a bracelet to let my presence be known. "Master, you have arrived early," I spoke in the dreamlike voice that, had I not been working would have sounded hard and full of hate, but no, my voice was smooth, emotionless.

I felt his eyes roam my body as he spoke, "Luna, I wasn't expecting you back so early, you look as beautiful as ever." He gazed into my deep ocean grey- blue eyes. "I have brought you a trinket that is a rare beauty and will surely put to shame the radiance of all the rest," He held out a finely made silk bag as he spoke, "I hope you like it."

I opened the bag and, started with a gasp, "Y-you found it! My ring!" To say I was surprised would be an understatement; I had lost the ring in the first hour of the second war. Crafted out of sterling silver it coiled up my thumb when I picked it up, a magical ring. It laid perfectly where it came to rest; delicate yet strong looking with a bordered edge and an inscription on the inside it was a simple beauty. A spark of hope flickered through me, _with this I can be of real help; I can break free from this awful imprisonment called a brothel!_ This thought brought gusto to my cause, the power of my ring and what it signified was irreplaceable.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you master truly!" I almost burst into tears of joy and apparently it satisfied him. "It is a gift like none other!"

"I am glad I could be of some service to you other than a customer." His statement reminded me why he was here in the first place.

"Oh of course, what can a poor humble girl like myself do for you today Master Theodore?" I asked politely though my insides were burning with hatred for the man I once knew as a fellow classmate. Nott was an impeccable Slytherin and devoted customer, but I still had trouble getting him off my tail.

He chuckled a little as he thought. "Well…"

* * *

I gasped for breath as I finalized the first stage of the plan, He was dead. Staged to look as though an obsessed customer had tried to kidnap me and Nott had gotten in the way. His purse full of Galleons was mine and of course one more Death Eater out of the way, along with an unconscious annoying rat of a customer. It was the best time I had had in years, three to be exact or, in other words, since before the war.

"Luna!" I heard a shout, "Luna dearest, are you all right?! I heard a scream…" she stopped in surprise when she saw his body lying in a deep red pool of blood. "What? What happened?" she took a deep shuddering breath, "is, is he d-dead?"

Putting on a grimace with a trained look of fear in my eyes, I started to explain what had happened. As I spoke, I remembered what had really occurred. The truth flashed through my mind, a stain on my soul.

_Gently approaching him I swayed my body to the rhythm in my head, the tones of a deep bass drum echoing as the memory of a performance of a city band entered my mind. The song had been beautiful yet disturbing at the same time. It was composed in a time of fear, confusion, and death not unlike the times now. I curled my body like that of a deft feline and circled him in the dance called seduction. In one smooth movement I had a blade pressed to his throat and his wand across the room. Wandless magic had always come easy to me, but it was unknown to others just how much power I had; just how well I could use it. The fear and confusion in his eyes would have amused me had I been able to see them, his muscles tensed and he waited for me to speak._

"_Oh dear, oh dear, what do we have here?" I drawled, my voice hard with venom and hate. "Surely the great Theodore Nott would at least die of old age and not at the hands of Looney Luna Lovegood, whore extraordinaire." I whispered dangerously, next to his ear, "Know this Nott, I am going to kill you and never, ever will I be blamed for it." Setting up the scene, I screamed._

_Gripping the foul idiot's wand tightly I pointed it at the crazy customer I had chosen to set up. The carefully crafted memories implanted in his head and his stunned body placed where it would have been had he tried to actually attack me._

_It was perfect._

* * *

The moaning and screams of the ghosts of past filled the air. It was almost deafening to someone who had caused the overwhelming pain and torture fueling the screams. A place no other Death Eater dared set foot in.

It wasn't like Hogwarts had become an ugly, plant filled, over-run maze, but it had been repaired from the war. By whom only Merlin would know. The walls covered with ivy only added to the ambience. It was the perfect hiding place, for not a single "ally" of his would disturb him and a very select few ever visited. He wasn't worried about being discovered, though he kept up his senses, ready to defend himself at any moment. This was uncharted territory.

His rapt attention faltered, however, when he discovered something he recognized. Something that belonged to _her_, the girl whose life he had destroyed. Luna Lovegood's butterbeer cap necklace lay on the floor in front of him, reminding him of the horrible deeds of his foolish younger years. It brought pain to his heart, an undeniable anguish that most would have thought impossible for him to feel.

As he bent to take it he heard a noise, the unmistakable rustle of fine silk. He turned and caught sight of the almost white, blonde hair not considerably unlike his own. Clutching the necklace in his hand he spoke for the first time in 6 months. "Luna?" It came out raspy and soft. "Loony Luna," Now it came out as more of a fact than a question. He saw past the soft sweet smile to the harsh bitter look in her eyes. The repulsed look he was getting sent a shiver down his spine.

"Malfoy," I finally decided to address him, though I thought him unworthy of any title anymore. Curtly I nodded to the necklace in his grasp, "You can keep that if you like, I have no need of it anymore. It is and was an object of my former personality."

He simply stared deeply into my eyes and clutched it tighter, like it was his life-line. "What would I do with it," his voice came out soft and full of emotion, surprising me to great lengths. I had thought no one was ever capable of feeling anything other than hate and cut-throat ruthlessness anymore. He walked towards me closing the gap that no longer was personal space to me, when you're a tramp for a living your body is no longer yours but everyone else's.

He tucked a finger under my chin and forced me to look him in the eye, "Do you hate me?" The sorrow etched into every plane of his face startled my angry resolve. "Do you despise me for what I did, even though I have repented for it every day for 6 months?"He paused, "Am I so disgusting to you that you can't even find the resolve to answer me?"

"No, Draco I cannot hate you any longer for what I now see you were forced to do, I only hate the one who forced you to do it." I brushed my palm across his chiseled and stubbly cheek. He nodded silently as his reply to my answer. It satisfied the part of him that wanted to know, to know if he had hurt me in an indescribable way. "Why are you here, Draco? What did they do that forced you to turn your back on them? To realize what was wrong and what was right?" I searched his face for the answer; if he wouldn't comply I was going to search his mind. My fingertips brushed down his cheeks to grip his shoulders. Gently I pushed past his block and probed his mind.

It was like he didn't care that I was invading his mind, not an ounce of resistance was made. He quickly dug through his memories and led me to a door. The door was boarded up, locked, and blocked off. It seemed as though he never wanted to be reminded of the memory. Slowly I chipped off the defenses one by one.

As the last board shattered the door started to creep open. Its dark aura seeped out and pulled me towards it. Complying, I walked through the doorway and stopped as soon as I saw it. Terrifying, brutal, and horrible were the first words to pop into my mind. I tried to get out, to leave his mind, but I was stuck. I was forced to watch as he was tortured. Every lashing and crucio rang in my ears. I screamed. The image of him in excruciating pain was burned into my retinas and, by the time I was released, his father and other Death Eaters tormenting him and beating him replayed, over and over in my mind. When I opened my eyes I doubled over in exhaustion. It was then as I blacked out that I realized how long I had been in his mind.

**A/N: alright..... here's the deal I need you to *whisper whisper....* and *whisper snicker* and *whisper* *busts out laughing*. Review Please!......My story isn't beta'd and probably never will be....**


	2. Chapter 2 Insanity

**Disclaimer: I promise I didn't write Harry Potter...if I had I would not be typing this. I would be partying somewhere on a hugemongous yacht.**

**A/N: Sammie if you are reading this...and I know you are, well, I dedicate this story to YOU! lolz**

**Please oh please go vote on my poll, **

**if you don't there might not be any more stories, or this story for that matter.**

**Insanity**

Groggy and weary were the only good terms to describe how I felt when I woke up. It was like slightly singed wool was stuffed into my head. I cracked open my eyes slowly to adjust to the light streaming in and took in my surroundings.

The room was a giant blur of greens. Olive green, forest green, blue-green, and grass green combined to give the room a nice well, 'green' glow. It seemed as if we were in the Slytherin common room… But it couldn't be. The light was streaming in too strongly to be a dungeon room. So my conclusion was that this was the room of requirement, and that Draco really, really liked the color green.

Two beds were placed at opposite ends of the room, one of which I was sitting on. They had white sheets with a black and green striped duvet. Black satin curtains hung gracefully around both beds and tied with matching satin ribbons. Glancing back over at the other bed I noticed the lump rising and falling gently from the center of the bed.

I tried, ever so slowly and gently, to get off the elaborate bed, but, no matter my precautions, the cold contact with the floor and strain upon old injuries and wounds caused me to let out a soft cry of pain. Quick as the wind, a shadow appeared over me.

Without looking up I spoke, "I was hoping you weren't a light sleeper Draco, but obviously my hopes were in vain."I reigned in the distortion my face gained from the pain and looked straight up into his silver pools from my place on the floor. I had fallen when I felt the first singe of pain rack my body.

He spoke quietly as if there was a person listening intently from outside the door, "I haven't been a heavy sleeper for a long time." His words were emphasized by a grave tone that implied the perpetrator causing his lack of sleep was the war. "But it seems as though most are light sleepers now, whether they wanted to be or not.

I laughed.

Not a laugh of joy or of something funny, but a laugh that came from the bloody irony of the world. His statement reminded me I of every single Death Eater that had come to, essentially, rape me. _Ah bloody irony, how you mock me,_ I thought. His brow was furrowed as he looked at my form doubled over from laughing hysterically.

"Those," I gasped out from my lack of air, "who are heavy sleepers in the world today, are either dead or Death Eaters."

He frowned at my insane humor. "What has the world done to you, Luna that you laugh at something so terrible? Though your statement is true surely you see reason not to laugh at it?" He questioned my sanity. I could tell in his eyes he thought me mad.

"Draco, Draco, poor Draco!" A glint appeared in my eyes, "I realize," I said softly, "that I am slightly mad, but, just as you have good reason to be insane, so do I." I spoke even softer than before, "I can show you why, just as you have shown me, but that is not why I came here." I sighed and returned my expression to that of a normal person. An expression that would have befitted the face of an exhausted Hermione after NEWTs settled on my face. "Do you have any news of the outside world? Any news of an uprising or the Order?"

He hissed at the name of the organization that had helped Harry Potter fail. "No," he left an uncomfortable silence, "and Yes."

* * *

Across the British Isle, a brothel in London was the epitome of chaos.

A Death Eater was lying dead in the room of a missing whore. And quite unfortunately, the whore that London was so frantically looking for was the most dangerous to let ever escape, for those who let her free were subjected to the Dark Lord's fury.

A fury so great it would cause even the bravest Gryffindor to cower in fear. A fury that had the Dark Lord hissing at any who came near him. It was a bad idea to let a smart, powerful witch run free.

* * *

A fireplace nearby crackled silently, eating away at the large log placed just so, so that the flames could lick it and stay alight without causing the log to disappear too quickly. Men and women in ragged clothes huddled around it whispering hurriedly. Every single one of them suspicious of every other person. The quiet sound of whispering increased gradually as more and more tired, grave, ragged people stumbled in. A large crowd had gathered by the time someone took the initiative to speak over them.

The worn strong voice of Neville Longbottom carried over the whispers of the crowd as he began his speech, "I know that we aren't all here, as some could not chance it, some just couldn't make it in time, and some will never make it ever again." He was interrupted with the whispers of those trying to discern what he had meant, "But! We still have a meeting to carry out and orders to be given so please calm yourselves just a moment for the news." He unfurled a roll of parchment wrapped around the most two important pieces of news they had had in a long time.

"Firstly, the rumor that Luna Lovegood has 'gone missing' in the words of the daily prophet or escaped is true," He paused for the gasps that always came with news that was good, "And, we have leads to the location of Harry Potter." If he had thought the gasps before were loud enough to get them all caught, he had obviously not realized that the roar that erupted could be completely ignored by the outside world.

Those at The Meet were ecstatic. So ecstatic in fact that it took nearly thirty minutes to calm the crowd down for other news. Neville's hope had been elevated immensely because of the great news that had come to them that day. As the crowd filed towards him for their assignments he pondered over Luna's escape. He had been told all about the horrific things she had been through and wondered if she had killed Nott or if the cover story she had told a co-worker was true. If she had killed him, she sure covered her tracks well. As she was a Ravenclaw in her school years he had no doubt that she was capable of many things, killing so that she could escape included. In his mind, she had always been a deft and able person. Easily practicing wandless magic at the age of fifteen and hiding her ability from most still. She was a capable enigma.

As he gave the last assignment to a gruff old man he thought over where she could have disappeared to and if she would ever be able to find The Meet. He hoped she found someone to guide her there with all his heart. She would be a great addition.

* * *

Draco wondered at the strange insanity that was Luna Lovegood. If he had thought her strange before, he thought her mad as a hatter now. She went from raving mad like his Aunt Bellatrix to oddly normal. After laughing her head off at a sick and twisted world she had asked for news. News! What a perfectly normal thing to ask of! He had told her all he knew including that of the useless uprising more commonly known as 'The Meet'. Nodding and questioning seemed to go on forever as he informed her of it. Finally they got somewhere.

"Where?" She asked.

"The heart of London."

He had almost smiled at the funny look of disgust that was invading her features. He had helped her until she had decided to bring him with her. His first thought had been No way in _hell_! And his comment was that of her wand, or lack thereof. She had just smiled ruefully and stroked the ring curled upon her thumb. At first I thought it to be a habit of some sort. Some weird act of uncertainty, that is until the tip of a finely carved wand appeared to be coming out of her ring.

Weird, I know.

Now I finally understood the awe a few people had for her. Now I understood why she had been kept so close to the Dark Lord's headquarters.

Now I knew.

**A/N: Ahem! well, now that I've got your attention GO VOTE ON MY POLL! And since you've been kind enough, or bored enough, or just plain mean enough to read my story REVIEW! Sorry it's short...sooner or later if I get 10 reviews in all I might lengthen the chapters and release more than once a week...if not I'll probably stop posting the story and my faithful reader Sammie will get to read it on her own. pluss I need to know the results of my poll to continue the story so.....good luck!**


	3. Chapter 3 Whispering Ways

**Disclaimer: heh almost forgot it.... I didnt write harry potter.....well at least I think didnt....if I did I must have amnesia and could possibly have been robbed.......**

**A/N: This is to make up for the short first two chapters and the fact that I won't be releasing a chapter next Wednesday like usual …I'm going on a trip...just an early chapter…**

**Alright I want to thank, of course,**

**_Sammie_ for reviewing! My bestest bud! Rainey Dae says to stop hogging the story…heh oh well that's what happens when I threaten to let only you read it hehe. One hint about this chapter Bagels?....heh you know the one we talked about….its them…..**

**And of course _Melora_ the anonymous, thank you for the suggestion and encouragement,**

**Thank you _Aelket_ for your kind comment,**

**and last but not least the one who wasn't afraid to give me some criticism, and kindly I might add,_ Rainey Dae_ (love your pen name by the way) …sorry if it goes from 3rd person to 1st person….I try to go by writing rules like staying in past tense (which I do a good job of I must say) but my person issues…..meh whatever…..I like your idea Dae I'll just pretend I'm going against the rules and being artsy, as I always say, if the people like it, It has to be ok! (well fine I don't always say that but…you know what I mean!) mainly I use 3rd person for people other than Luna… I did slip up in the first chapter but hey! What can I say? I looked over the first chapter way too many times…**

**......on to better things, like POCKY! Oh wait sorry didn't mean to make you hungry….I think …..I'll just go back to the story… AHEM *many clearings of throats* …..It was the best of times; It was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness….*someone elbows me in the side as I look up innocently* oh I'm sorry, is this not the Charles Dickens fic?….sorry for the long A/N… couldn't help it….**

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**City on Fire**

Ch. 3 Whispering Ways

A loud banging could be heard throughout the manor and headquarters of the Dark Lord followed by a loud hissing, the distinct sound of a slithering snake, and the disturbing sound that was the Dark Lord's voice.

"Who dares to obstruct my peace?!" he hissed out angrily as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Zabini, you had better have a good reason for being here."

The calm voice of Blaise Zabini echoed through the shadows, "Yes my lord, they have taken the bait my lord." He stood there quietly with a blank look on his face, waiting for his master's answer.

"Yes, good, very good, I think I might forgive you for the racket you made on your way in." He smirked, "Unless, It wasn't you?"

"No, my lord it was me," Still with the blank look on his face.

"Really Zabini? You really think I would believe you able to make that racket?" He paused, "Of course we can't have your little spy leave now can we?" Blaise's face was distorted in pain as the almost inhuman bloodcurdling scream could be heard from a downstairs room in the manor.

He fell to his knees and a tear tracked down his face as the screaming faded out. He muttered something incomprehensible as pain from the cruciatus caused him to black out.

* * *

"And _how _exactly do you plan on us traveling without getting caught?" Draco's voice was strained from trying not to yell at the supposedly smart woman standing in front of him. "How are we ever going to get to The Meet without getting killed?!" His voice rose higher and higher with every word.

I quietly tsked at him, "Draco, Draco. Have you not thought through your abilities? Think Draco _think!_" Hinting was the only thing I could do for him now. He needed to realize what abilities were needed to survive the war. _I may be insane, but if there's one thing I'm not, I'm not stupid._

"What could _possibly_ ever give us a chance to travel without…being…detected." he trailed off. "That's-that's IT!" He paused to look at me with awe, "Why did I never think of it before? It's so obvious I don't know why it didn't hit me right between the eyes!" he was getting excited now. "Luna! You're a genius!"

I smirked a little, barely containing a grin, "Now Draco you know that isn't true, I just pick up on things faster than others." I twirled my wand mindlessly between my fingers, "Now we need to prepare to leave."

* * *

"Bloody hell!" Neville Longbottom whispered as his eyes widened in fear. He quickly conjured his patronus sending a frantic message to the rest of The Meet. "Get out now! They've attacked and the only way to save everyone is to leave now. Head towards," he hesitated for a moment, "head towards the new headquarters." He paused again, "I know it isn't quite ready yet but, it'll have to do. Now GO! Save all you can without being caught!" His patronus circled him and sped off in the distance towards The Meet. "I hope, with great certainty, that everyone will be safe." He whispered before slipping out of the alleyway he was hiding in.

He had witnessed the terror of a group of Death Eaters beating their way into The Meet from his vantage point in the alleyway. He quickly found a different alley a block over and turned on the spot disappearing with a soft click.

* * *

Landing gracefully was something Neville had greatly improved from his first year with the ability to apparate. He had also perfected the art of a silent journey. None of the commonly heard loud cracks would split the air when appeared or disappeared. It was an intriguing ability that few seemed to ever master. It was and ability that had saved him many a time and made him even more invaluable to his organization commonly known as The Meet.

Quickly thinking over how to strengthen the new headquarters before all the members and refugees appeared Neville started to cast a plethora of charms, curses, and traps that would come into effect as soon as he let the last incantation leave his mouth. Complicated swirls, flicks, swishes, and jabs put the last touches on the defense before everyone managed to arrive.

He reviewed the food and potion ingredient stores, checked the protections placed on the makeshift infirmary, and waited impatiently to receive word of the rest.

Nerves and thoughts of what could have happened to make the Death Eaters attack the headquarters had Neville riled up by the time the first of the refugees landed in the meeting room of the new headquarters. He exhaled a sigh of relief as the steely eyes of Oliver Wood met his.

"Oliver, did everyone get out safe? Do they know how to get here?" Neville had been fretting over everyone's safety since he had seen the ambush. "Is everyone alright?"

"Alright, alright, slow down there Longbottom," Wood spoke in his thick Scottish accent. "Everyone got out fine, but Dean Thomas hasn't checked in. He hasn't been seen since going off with his informant…" He trailed off at the look of anger and sadness that passed over Neville's features, "So you know what happened?"

"He," Neville paused "He was compromised," and after another pregnant pause, "along with his informant."

"Ah, so the duo is deceased." Wood's brow creased, "Now how are we to get information from them?"

"I wouldn't say deceased Wood, more likely tortured to insanity, but perhaps we can infiltrate the manor with another spy."

"I wouldn't want to risk it, but perhaps." He stopped to think, "Longbottom, the rest are going to enter through the storage rooms, and I had forgotten to tell you, but I have heard rumors that Draco Malfoy isn't dead but neither is he a part of the Death Eaters."

"Interesting. That must be the oddest rumor I have heard in years, though with these times, who knows?"

* * *

"Draco! Get back here you imbecile! You forgot to grab the viles of polyjuice!" I yelled from the Great Hall. "We need them to survive now get back here!"

"What is it that you are screeching about woman?! Are you trying to burst my ear drums?" Draco grumbled as he grabbed the pack of potions. "Are you sure we are going to be able to carry all this when we change?"

I grimaced, "I'm pretty sure but I don't know if it'll change like our clothes or be strapped to our backs."

"We'll find out when we try, I guess," I shrugged.

"It's now or never, do you want the honors?" I looked over at him. We had reached grounds just outside the castle.

He nodded, "Three, two, one!" In the blink of an eye we had changed respectively into a golden eagle and a hawk.

Truly it had been a coincidence when we had found out that both of our animagi were birds. Personally I liked the idea that hawks were incredibly intelligent creatures and that was what I personified, but I didn't understand how Draco Malfoy, git that he is, could ever be considered an eagle, a _golden_ eagle for that matter. A rare and beautiful creature more commonly found in Australia, but sometimes known to be found in Britain. Seriously, Why him?

* * *

Crowds stared at the sky in awe and wonder. The oddest sight befell the citizens of the outskirts of London. An eagle wheeled around the sky, graceful and beautiful. It was an odd sight indeed that caused the former Headmistress of Hogwarts look twice, rather than hurrying on to the new headquarters. Recognition dawned on her face as she thought of her former students. Draco Malfoy, an animagus just like his patronus. And- and was that a hawk?! She fingered a golden coin attached to a chain around her neck, thinking.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when it heated against her skin, the signal that a D.A. member was trying to talk to her. Sliding out of public eyes, she answered the call in a small alleyway.

"Professor," The dreamy voice of Luna Lovegood spoke from the coin, an invention courtesy of Hermione Granger that had been adapted by The Meet and the new D.A. "I need to know how to reach The Meet."

"Shhh, child don't speak the name! We can't be caught now!" McGonagall hissed at the coin. "Find Whispering Ways, that is the key to all things that are the D.A. and beyond," she spoke in a simple yet frustrating code. "And, are you with the eagle?" She had wondered if Draco was on their side. She needed to know if he hadn't turned his back on his true nature.

"Yes, the eagle has helped me thus far, well I forced him to come with me, but that doesn't matter now." Luna muttered quietly. "Whispering Ways you said? We'll be there in no time!"

"Don't get caught dearest, and don't lose the eagle." McGonagall truly hoped her former students would be safe.

"I promise we'll protect each other. Goodbye Professor, Merlin be with you!"

* * *

Pain, excruciating pain. Both of the body and of the heart. His lover was lying somewhere nearby in the cell. The near death experience was indescribable, the cruciatus performed by the Dark Lord unbearable, and the pain of hearing his lover's screams intolerable. He hoped for the peace of death, for both him and his partner.

He had offered to be a spy knowing its consequences, and Dean had offered to help him through the terrors of espionage. The two lovers were an oddity in the war. Consequences brought them together in a relationship neither would have thought possible. Blaise Zabini, for one, was a pureblood expected to provide an heir for his prestigious family and to consort with no less than the purest of blood. Not that that mattered to him. Since he had realized his feelings for Dean he had set aside his upbringing and all thoughts warning him away from homosexuality but now, now it cost him his heart. If he was spared and Dean left to die he would die of heartbreak, literally.

He had been working for the D.A. and The Meet for three months now without a single thing going wrong. Oh how naïve he had been, to think they could get away with stealing right under Voldemort's nose. And now it had probably cost him his lover and his life, great. Just great.

"Dean," he whispered hoarsely. "Dean are you alright?"

"Oh I'm great! What do you think Blaise?!" Dean answered back sarcastically. "If that great git of a snake hadn't been there maybe we would be just fine and dandy! Maybe I wouldn't have tripped!"

"Dean," Blaise sighed, "we can get out of here, I know it!" He paused, "Surely someone will save us?"

"Surely? Why don't you think of a way to get out of here rather than us waiting on our arses' for death or rescue!" He answered back angrily. "_Surely,_ we are good enough to escape!" he paused a moment, "Whispering Ways is waiting." He said quietly.

**Excuse my idiocy in an earlier chapter for putting London in the wrong spot *author grimaces*…I'm fixing it fast. Somehow I was thinking of where Paris is when typing about London…Funny how I realize what stupid things I write when working on the next chapter…**

**A/N: If anyone cares the funny thing about this story…it doesn't even have an outline…even I don't know what's going to happen next….sometimes I surprise myself hehe oh well…so normally I just wing it but maybe I'll get SAMMIE *wink wink nudge nudge* to help me plan it out. Just know that I'll try very hard to reach my personal deadline of releasing at least once a week…and I have another story being planned that will hopefully be released sometime around the 8th chapter of this story.**


	4. Chapter 4 Crazed

A/N: Heh I forgot to mention the title of this story was inspired by a song from Sweeney Todd the Musical. Well anyways, this is dedicated to my four first reviewers! thanks guys! and sorry for the wait!

Disclaimer: Oh woe is me! tis such a sad sad day, for I do not owneth Harry Potter!

**City on Fire**

**Ch.4 Crazed**

Pots and pans rattled. Cauldron's emitted oddly smelling steams. Patients moaned from their beds. Orders were shouted hastily back and forth.

All this was happening the day after the raid on The Meet. People bustled about getting the rest of the new headquarters ready.

Truthfully, Whispering Ways Castle had not seen that much life since its last royal owner. The hustle and bustle of large amounts of truly good people made the walls of the castle sigh contentedly. A castle with secrets not unlike those at Hogwarts, it was a mystery.

Though the castle's truthful owner was not present within the walls, no mortal peril had come to haunt the mistress. As one of the Golden Trio and a frightfully intelligent witch Hermione Granger had come to find her inheritance hidden away in a dire time of need. With the Meet being infiltrated with spy's there had been an extreme need for a new hideout and headquarters for the ever growing light side.

Hermione Granger, Mudblood extraordinaire found her abnormally large inheritance a week after her parents died. A week after finding out she was a witch born from a huge line of squibs making her, in fact, not a "Mudblood" as some liked to call her, but a pureblood with a huge store of magical power that skipped tens of twenty's of generations. She was in fact related to both the great Godric Gryffindor and the extraordinarily intelligent Rowena Ravenclaw.

Not that that seems of any importance as of right now. The important thing was her location. Or the lack of knowledge of said location.

Not only was The Meet drowning in preparations, but they were missing one of their great co-leaders who held all the secrets of the new headquarters in her grasp. Important members who needed to move from place to place in the castle were getting lost like first years in Hogwarts and needing to use their frugal amounts of Flu Powder to make it anywhere in the castle. This was a cause of panic.

A cause of panic that had Neville Longbottom hoping in the deepest recesses of his heart and soul for help to show up, and fortunately for him _it did_.

* * *

A windblown Luna and a disgruntled yet wary Draco made their way towards the cliff holding smatterings of signs that warned of the treacherous cliff and dangerous animals lurking there. The pair hoped deeply that their information was correct and they were not entering a death trap, but a safe haven that would possibly help them in their quest to save the world wide wizarding communities.

Once inside the boundaries Luna reached up to lightly tap the coin attached to her neck by a thin gold chain and almost immediately the grandiose sight of castle so large and beautiful it rivaled even Hogwarts flickered into place where there was once ruins and signs of warning. Draco's gasp of awe tributed wonderfully to the mood which had filled Luna's heart at the sight before them.

With her mouth agape she took a small unnoticeable step forward then burst into a full out run with the truest smile she had ever had since her days at Hogwarts. Draco had barely caught up to her when she flung open the intricately designed doors to the great surprise of all inside.

* * *

When the great banging echoed through the castle from the entrance doors, three startled co-heads quickly dropped what they were doing and practically flew to the cause of the commotion.

Well, one of them did fly there.

Could you blame him? No seriously! Oliver Wood would find any chance to fly somewhere since the light lost the war and he lost his position as a Quiditch keeper.

Really, even indoors.

Well, on to more important things. Like Neville Longbottom running towards the commotion and the mysteriously missing Hermione Granger appearing out of thin air in a castle supposedly unable to be apparated into.

Huh.

* * *

Gasps and hard suspicion filled faces were the greetings for Luna and Draco. But the most attention catching greeting was that of Hermione Granger, who after letting one single tear roll down her cheek ran up and enveloped Luna into a back-breaking, bone-crushing, happiness-filled hug.

Though, while her greeting to Luna was one of great hope and happiness, the reaction that exploded from her at the sight of a Malfoy, any Malfoy…was not.

"You bastard," her comment came out hushed as she moved around Luna.

"I beg pardon?" Draco was startled to say the least at the rage in her eyes. And this was only the calm before the storm.

"You have the _nerve_ to enter into _my _home! Especially after deciding to switch sides _without_ _helping_!" she practically growled. "_You_ let him die! Because of _you_ Ron Weasley is dead! Because _you _were to above helping anyone other than _yourself!_" She finally lost control.

"YOU BASTARD!" she gulped a big breath before continuing, "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY CASTLE! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT AFTER ALL YOU HAVE DONE!" her screams bordered on that of insane screeches. Hermione Granger was one frighteningly furious witch.

And being a furious witch it took both Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood, who had arrived just in time, to hold her down.

"You let me go! You let me go this instant! I am not done with him!" her screams echoed down the corridors, even after a simple wave of Luna's hand had silenced her.

Oliver sighed, "Thank you Luna, though it's going to take hours to calm her down."

After Neville was done rubbing his poor ear that got yelled into he said, "We got the message from McGonagall that said you would be showing up soon, and I assume her mysterious statement about a golden eagle being with you meant that git?" he waved his hand in the direction of Draco, "Well I guess it can't be helped, we're too much in need of more members that even turncoats will have to do."

The innocuous glare sent Neville's way did nothing to faze him. "Thanks for that, let's call it lovely, description of me," he retorted dryly.

A/N: hope you've read this Sammie and sorry for the wait...you know the drill, REVIEW!


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